Her Swedish Billionaire’s Baby

Chapter 7

The mediator was named Emma Dawson and she welcomed them to the mediation with polite words and then informed them that the day’s session was just a introductory one in which she would give them the parameters of mediation and the way forward. She handed both Ms. Drew and Mr. Demerle her standard list of dos and don’ts for their clients which Samara read right away:

Do focus on your child’s needs.
Don’t focus on your needs.

Do think of custody as a separate issue relating only to what is best for your child.
Don’t discuss child support or property when trying to resolve your parenting plan.

Do acknowledge your child’s special needs according to her age, temperament, and development.
Don’t assume there is a standard plan that fits the needs of all children.

Do acknowledge the other parent’s strengths and bring up only valid concerns about the other parent’s ability to care for your child.
Don’t bad-mouth the other parent.

Do acknowledge that your child needs time with both of you, in a safe environment, developed by a parenting plan.
Don’t punish the other parent by withholding your children.

Do go to mediation prepared with:

• A proposal for custody and a time-sharing plan
• A calendar which identifies school holidays, your work schedule, your child’s activities
• A flexible and business-like attitude

Don’t go to mediation unprepared.

She sighed with relief as she read because it seemed to assume joint custody at least which was the ideal. Plus Bjorn couldn’t bring up whatever shady details he thought he’d dug up on her. Plus there was no way he had a schedule developed already.

“Ms. Dawson, my client and I have discussed things and we would like to present you with our proposal, calendar and work schedule which you will see is very compatible to child care,” Demerle said pushing a piece of paper toward the judge and a copy to Samara’s lawyer. She couldn’t believe they’d already done it. How had they known? Bjorn avoided her eyes the entire time, much as she tried to catch his….was he not planning to speak to her ever again?

“We’re going to need time to come up with a counter proposal,” her lawyer was saying and Samara craned her neck wanting to see what Bjorn had proposed.

“Of course. Our next session will be next Tuesday,” Ms. Dawson said as she stood up and shook everyone’s hands. Although she took her copy of Bjorn’s proposal, she didn’t read it right away. Samara wasn’t sure how to take that.

“Is it bad that we didn’t have a proposal of our own?” she asked Jess.

“No. Today was about handing in the background information and setting parameters for the way forward. That Fredriksen’s people decided to press ahead with giving their proposal is neither here nor there. I’m not saying we should underestimate Demerle. He’s been in the business many years. But we can’t let them intimidate us. Okay?” Jess was using her flinty voice.

“Okay,” Samara replied and sighed deeply.

She had a sharp pain in the middle of her stomach that felt like someone trying to poke her with a sharp object. She thought maybe she needed to get out of her formal skirt and into more comfortable clothes since the painkiller she’d taken hadn’t helped. Her tummy didn’t protrude much but she felt so much heavier than she had a few months ago. She constantly found herself supporting her back as she walked even though she wasn’t really at the whale stage. Heck, there was barely a bump. She figured all this stress must have something to do with it. She walked slowly to where she’d parked the Honda; Alison had lent it to her for the day while she covered her shift at the cafeteria. A wave of gratitude overtook her at the thought of her sister. She really didn’t know what she would have done without her.

*****

Swedish Shipping Magnate Expecting Baby By American Woman

The TMZ headline caught Alison’s eye and she froze. It was a slow afternoon and the cafeteria had wifi so she’d been casually trolling gossip blogs for celebrity scandals. She certainly didn’t expect to see her sister on there. There was a grainy photo from the court hearing; maybe not clear enough to identify her in the street but for someone who knew her…

“Fu*k,” Alison said feelingly. Bryson, one of the servers, gave her a look of inquiry but she waved him off. Samara wasn’t going to like this one bit. She wondered if university deans read TMZ. Today was the first day of mediation and Samara had been nervous enough. To call her with this news might just pull her over the edge. Alison decided to wait until she saw her at home.

*****

“No.” Samara said out loud as she drew up outside their apartment. “No. No. No. No. No. No!” she said as she caught sight of the man lounging casually outside their door. She considered putting pedal to the metal and just flooring it the hell out of there but he was standing at her doorway, to her house. There was nowhere to run. She turned into the driveway and parked, alighting from the vehicle as the pain in her stomach sharpened.

“Hi Dad,” she said.

“Hey Sammy. How you doing?”

“Don’t call me that,” Samara said wondering if she could just push past him and rush into the house.

Chris spread out his hands in contrived apology, “Sorry. Force of habit. How you been girl? It’s been a minute.”

“I’ve been fine without you in my life. So how about we just continue that way?” she said trying to inch around him without him noticing.

“Ouch. That hurt,” her father said wincing theatrically. “I’m here to help you my girl.”

Samara stared at him, “Help me?”

“Yeah. You know with your…problem,” as he said the last word his eyes drifted down to her stomach. Samara tensed. How had he known? Did Alison tell him?!?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said stiffly.

“I’m talking about your pregnancy and your rich baby daddy. Good one by the way. I thought you got away from the fam because you hated hustling…just goes to show huh?”

“THIS IS NOT A HUSTLE!” Samara found herself shouting.

“Sure it isn’t. Whatever you need to tell yourself. Either way, I’m here to provide guidance.”

“I don’t need your kind of guidance Dad. Please go away.” This time Samara did push past him.

“Whoa! What’s with all the aggression little girl?” Chris asked.

“I need you to leave old man. Now!” Samara shouted, slamming the door in his face.

“Ookay,” Chris said quietly before he made his way to the ‘borrowed’ Subaru he was driving. This was just step one; he would get her to see things his way in the end.

*****

Samara sighed in relief as she walked through the front door, releasing Bear from her leash so she could run into the house. Samara had quickly come to love Bear, and she enjoyed playing, cuddling, and overall spending time with the energetic puppy. Especially on days like these where everything seemed to just weigh on her.